Clasp



R. W. COOK Nov. 9, 1937.

CLASP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. '7, 1935 Nov. 9, 1937. R. 'w. cooK 2,098,821

CLAS P File d Feb. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CLASP ration of Delaware Application February 7, 1935, Serial No. 5,413

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps, and more particularly to clasps for use on personal wear such, for example, as garters. One object of this invention is to provide an improved clasp, capable of being clasped and unclasped with maximum speed and minimum ease.

, Another object of this invention is to provide an improved clasp which will not tear the fabric to be held.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved. clasp of maximum thinness.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved clasp formed of simple elements readily manufactured and readily assembled to producean attractive, durable, efliecient construction at minimum cost.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention includes all improvements over the prior art which are disclosed in this application.

Inthe accompanying drawings, in which certain ways f 'CQI'IYiIIgOHt the invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

.Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a garter having a clasp thereonv made in accordance with'this invention; 7

v Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on theline 2--2 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clasp shown in Figs. 1 and. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of a'modified form of clasp;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another modified form of clasp made in accordance with this invention; 1

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; h

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig, 8 is a front elevation of the frame-member shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of another modified form of clasp made in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view on the lin llll0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the clasp shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the resilient clasp-member shown in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 13 is a front elevation of another modification of a clasp made in accordance with this invention. e

In the'description and claims, the various parts are identified by specific names for convenience,

but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the prior art will permit.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the clasp 23 includes a frame-member 2| having a crossbar 22 at its upper end, about which is secured a depending-portion 23 of a garter 24. The frame-member 2| has an interior hole or opening 25, and at the lower end of this hole or opening 25, a portion of the metal is struck up or offset from the frame-member 2|, to provide a pocketportion 26 preferably having a rounded cam-like edge 21.

Secured to the frame-member 2|, by a.rivet 28 or other suitable means, is a resilient claspmember 29, here shown in the form of a leafspring made of suitable spring-metal and preferably having its upper end 30 bent transversely toward the rear side 3| of the clasp and fitting between the lateral spaced-apart edges 32 and 33, and also engaging against the edge 34, the edges 32, 33 and 34 being bordering edges of r a notch or recess 35 formed in the frame-member 2!.

The lower end of the clasp-member 29 is preferably curled to form a cam-like lower end or grip-tongue 36. This lower end 36, when in the unclasped or open position illustrated in dotted.

tion 26, to thus secure the fabric 31 securely in position without risk of tearing the same.

When it is desired to unclasp the clasp, it is merely necessary to push theclasp-member 29 toward the front of the clasp, either by pressing against the same at the intermediate portion 38, or by pushing against the end-portion 36, where-v upon the latter moves to its dotted-line position and releases the fabric 31.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the leaf-spring member 39 is provided with transverse bends or flutes 40 to increase the yieldability of the clasp-member 39. Instead of providing a pocket-portion such as 25 in Fig. 2,

ber 42. Otherwise, the action of the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4. is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

The novel principle of the present invention is embodied in a somewhat different form of construction in the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, wherein the framemember 43 is formed of a single piece of springwire, which may have its ends welded together at 44. The wire frame-member 43 is provided with oppositely-bent portions 45 and 46, which form a central hole or opening 4'! for a purpose to b to firmly position the clasp-member 55 against lateral movement. The front end 51 of the rivet ispreferably of large diameter, and is pressed or hammered down over the adjoining parts 45, 45, etc., of the'wire frame 43, to firmly secure the parts 45 and 46 against any spreading or opening action thereof.

The lower end of the clasp-member 58 is provided with curled or cam-portions 58 and 59 at its opposite sides, so that when the clasp-member 50 is pressed from its unclasped position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, to its clasped position indicated in fulllines in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the cam-portions 58 and 59 ride over the rounded or cam-shaped Wire-portions 6B and El, to cause the latter to spread apart and permit the cam-portions 58 and 59 to move to the rear of the frame 43 to clasping position.

If desired, the clasp-member 58 may be provided with one or more longitudinal flutes or ridges 62,-to increase the flexibility of the clasp 50 and to increase the ease of the locking and unlocking action. Thus, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, instead of the locking action being along one edge, as in Figs l to 4, the locking action against fabric occurs at the two locations, by-means of the cam, grip-tongue portions 58 and 59 of the clasp-member 50.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 1'1, and 12, the locking action is at one locking or gripping edge, as in Figs. 1 to 4, but in this modification of the invention, both the framemember 63 and theoclasp-member 64 are made of spring wire. The frame-member 63 in all its essentials is similar to the wire frame-member 43 of Fig. 8 except that the opening 55 is of difierent form. The clasp-member 64 has opposite portions 66 and 61, shaped to form a central hole.

or opening 68, and may have their upper ends Welded or otherwise joined at 69. If desired, the shoulder-portions I and H may be slightly spaced apart from each other. The parts 63 and 64 are joined together by means of a rivet l2 having large front and rear head-portions l3 and 14, so that the head-portions can be pressed or hammered down around and beyond the adjoining arm-portions of the members 63 and 64, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1G, to firmly anchor these two parts against relative side rotational movement.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 13, the frame-member 15 and clasp-member 16 are made of spring wire in substantially the same manner as in the case of the form of invention shown in Figs. 9, 10, 1'1, and 12, but the form f the invention shown in Fig. 13 has the claspmember 16 formed to have double opposite-side clasping action similar to that shown in Fig. 5, instead of the single-end clasping action of Fig. 9. Otherwise, the mode of operation of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 13 is similar to that of Figst5, 6, and 7. a

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A clasp comprising: a frame-member having an opening and a gripping-edge forming part of the border of said opening; a resilient metal or equivalent clasp-member rigidly secured to the frame-member and having a grip-tongue adjacent said gripping-edge and at one side of said frame-member when in unclasped position, the extreme end of said grip-tongue being located substantially beyond said opening and beyond said gripping-edge when in unclasped position and said grip-tongue being adapted to resiliently engage against and yieldably resist being pushed past said gripping-edge to gripping position adjacent said gripping-edge of said frame-member.

2. A clasp comprising: a frame-member having an opening and a gripping-edge forming part of the border of said opening; a resilient metal or equivalent clasp-member rigidly secured to the frame-member and having a grip-tongue adja-.

cent said gripping-edge and at one side of said frame-member when in unclasped position, the.

extreme end of said grip-tongue being located substantially beyond said opening and beyond ber, said gripping-edge and said grip-tongue having cam action relative to one another to facilitate movement of said grip-tongue past said gripping-edge.

3. A clasp comprising: a generally-fiat framemember having an opening and a gripping-edge at the front side and offset from the general plane of the frame-member and forming part of ,the border of said opening; a resilient metal or ing pushed past said gripping-edge to gripping position adjacent the rear side of said grippingedge with the grip-tongue end of said clasp-member located forward of the rear face of said frame-member.

4. A clasp comprising: a generally-fiat frame-' Vmember having an opening and a pocket-portion provided with a gripping-edge at the front side and ofiset from the general plane of the frame- I member and forming part of the border of said opening; a resilient metal or equivalent clasp member rigidly secured to the frame-member and having a grip-tongue adjacent said grippingedge and at the front side of said gripping-edge when in unclasped position, the extreme end of said grip-tongue being located substantially beyond said opening and beyond said grippingedge when in unclasped position and said griptongue being adapted to resiliently engage against and yieldably resist being pushed past said gripping-edge to gripping position adjacent the rear side of said gripping-edge with the grip-tongue end of said clasp-member located forward of the rear face of said frame-member.

5. A clasp comprising: a frame-member having an opening and a gripping-edge forming part of the border of said opening; a resilient metal or equivalent clasp-member rigidly secured to the frame-member and having a grip-tongue adjacent said gripping-edge and at the front side of and spaced from said frame-member when in unclasped position, the extreme end of said griptongue being located substantially beyond said opening and beyond said gripping-edge when in unclasped position and said grip-tongue being adapted to resiliently engage against and yieldably resist-being pushed past said gripping-edge to gripping position adjacent and in contact with said gripping-edge of said frame-member.

RAYMOND W. COOK. 

